Food of South America

As vibrant and full of flavour as the countries they originate
from, South American cuisine is often a wonderful representative
for the continent's lust for life as well as fairly ecological,
utilising local crops and ingredients that have been harvested in
this part of the world for generations. Savour the taste of ancient
civilisations in Peru or experience tender steaks in Argentina;
when your taste buds are calling out for a zing of excitement, this
is the place to go!

Most of us like to do a bit of research before we travel, know
the things we particularly do (or don't) want to do, see and eat.
Spontaneity can bring some great unexpected discoveries, but a
little planning can go a long way, ensuring you don't waste
precious time deciding what to sample. No one would be able to try
each and every delicacy in one visit (unless you're super rich or
backpacking for months), so we've highlighted what we think are
some of the region's highlights - must tries if you're in one of
these areas.

Peru - Forget revenge, ceviche is the real
dish that's best served cold. Found on many menus across the globe
these days, there's no better place for a taste than the country
that has proudly named it its official dish. In its traditional
form, cerviche is a fruity, spicy, raw seafood salad with thin
strips of white fish marinated in citrus juice which mimics the
cooking process, giving it a buttery like texture. Similar to the
simpler Japanese delicacy sashimi, it's full of flavour, light and
readily available in many coastal towns as well as high in the
Andes, where river trout makes an excellent substitute. And what
could be a better accompaniment to your fishy dish than a Pisco
sour, an authentic cocktail made from Pisco (a locally produced
brandy), egg whites, Angostura bitters, lime juice, sugar syrup,
and ice?

Brazil - Such a large country has many
different variants of food, but one dish that's enjoyed the length
and breadth is Feijoada. This hearty one-pot stew is easy to make
and uses readily available ingredients, and of course is full of
meat - something that's harder to avoid in Brazil than other
countries. Eaten all year round, it often appears at family get
togethers and is basically Brazil's version of a Sunday roast.
Jam-packed full of smoked pork products, from chorizo to ribs, and
enriched with pig ears and trotters, it's a thick, juicy meal often
served with rice as a side dish. The best drink to go with it? It
has to be a caipirinha, a potent concoction made from sugarcane
juice know as cachaça (pronounced ka-sh-asa).

Argentina - You can't talk about
Argentinian cuisine without discussing steak, steak and more steak.
Bovine farming is big business in Argentina, a country where
cowboys still roam the land and where the average Argentinian
manages to consume an impressive 70kg of beef a year. Again, it's
often a family affair and at the end of the week you'll find many
generations of the same family in the garden gathered round their
barbecue, or asado, cooking delicate and delectable churrasco. They
take their steaks seriously, perfecting the art of grilling the
perfect cut - and they use most of them. Seasoning only with salt,
they let the produce do the talking as everyone sits down to a
juicy, medium cooked sirloins, t-bones, ribeyes or flanks. This is
also a destination known for its sweet tooth and while you're here,
try and find anything that's made with dulce de leche - a sensuous
homemade caramel sauce made by simply simmering milk, sugar and a
hint of vanilla.

Ecuador - Guinea pig is considered a
delicacy in many South American communities, so much so that a
male/female mating pair is considered a particularly generous
wedding gift. But this is where it gets a little distasteful for
our delicate western sensibilities; the process of roasting guinea
pig is much like that of a suckling pig - out in the open over a
spit. And it even has its own specific name, cuy supposedly so
called because of the little cheep-cheep noises these pets,
sorry, animals are known for making.
Much like many unknown meats, the closest comparison many have made
to its taste is chicken, but for those spending time in Ecuador who
are perhaps slightly more squeamish or less adventurous, there is
another specialty here which manages to be completely familiar and
unusual all at the same time, AND it's vegetarian - llapingachos.
Popular in more remote highland regions, this side dish has the
appearance of a slightly over-inflated English muffin and is
created unassumingly from potatoes and cheese. The closest
comparison may be to call them cheesy potato pancakes, and they are
served up alongside an array of different dipping sauces.

Patagonia - This sparsely populated
province sits right at the bottom of South America, with half of it
in Argentina, half in Chile and is a destination very far off the
normal, well-trodden tourist path. Unexpectedly, it also has a
couple of links closer to the UK, being home to between 1,500 and
5,000 native Welsh speakers. And language isn't the only thing it
has in common with 'the green green grass of home'; it's also a
locality famed for its lamb. Cordero al Palo (spit Roast lamb) is
Patagonia's most famous dish, cooked slowly over an open log fire
with the meat spread-eagled on what can only be described as an
oversized kebab prong. The skin becomes aerated and crispy and the
meat so succulent it just falls off the bone, you just might have
to bring your own mint sauce!

It's probably one of the most famous unknown train stations in England. You might have seen it in films and television series, but not been sure where it is - or even if it exists at all outside a carefully constructed set in a studio. Goathland train station, the 3rd stop along the line of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Pickering to Whitby, does exist, and it's frankly idyllic.

When Kenneth Branagh’s action-man Hercule Poirot first bounds onto the screen, we find ourselves in Jerusalem 1933. And while this is sure to be an unfamiliar opening to many of Christie’s more avid readers, we’re soon back into comfortable territory as Poirot’s sense of self-importance and masterful pomp come bubbling to the surface during his self-absorbed denouement.

The world is a weird place. It’s not something we always appreciate as we go about our day-to-day lives, but every so often you learn something about this planet of ours, suspended in a potentially infinite cosmos, that makes you stop and pause for thought.

River cruising is becoming one of the most popular holiday choices, particularly for leisurely travellers over 60, offering a scenic escape with some wonderful perks. Today we’re exploring why the river cruise has become so popular in recent years, and whether it might just be the right holiday for you.